Murder charge in crash death of unborn child

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022. I’m Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times staff writer and assistant Metro editor, coming to you from Echo Park.

The fiery crash last week in Los Angeles’ Windsor Hills neighborhood has produced a video of unspeakable devastation. It also raised questions about the legal consequences of killing a woman who is far along in a pregnancy.

Prosecutors say Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, a visiting nurse from Houston, was driving a Mercedes-Benz on La Brea Avenue at speeds up to 90 mph when she blew through a red light and smashed into cross traffic at Slauson Avenue. Two cars burst into flames, and six others were struck. There was no sign of Linton slowing, although the light had been red for nine seconds when she hit the intersection, authorities said.

Linton was charged Monday with six counts of murder and five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter. The murder charges were for the deaths of Asherey Ryan, 24; her 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero; Ryan’s unborn child, Armani Lester; Armani’s father, Reynold Lester, and two women whom the coroner has not publicly identified.

In California, the unlawful killing of a fetus committed with homicidal intent — “malice aforethought” — is murder. The state does not have a fetal manslaughter charge.

Ryan was 8½ months pregnant when the accident occurred. How far the pregnancy has progressed is not an issue in fetal homicide. UC Irvine law professor Michele Goodwin said fetal “viability,” although central in the now-overturned abortion rights decision, is not an absolute standard.

“Just making it through the birth canal does not help us understand viability, because we have such high rates of infant mortality in this country,” Goodwin said.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner places Armani Lester’s birth and death on Aug. 4, the date of the accident.

A coroner spokeswoman, Sarah Ardalani, said in an email that Armani was separated from Ryan in the accident and pronounced dead when he was found. The coroner lists the cause of Armani’s death as blunt trauma.

To prove murder, prosecutors must show that Linton knew that the act of driving at a high speed on city streets put human life at risk. Her driving record may provide the district attorney with ammunition: The California Highway Patrol said Linton had been involved in 13 previous accidents, including one that totaled two cars and resulted in bodily injury.

Defense attorney Halim Dhanidina asked the court Monday to continue Linton’s arraignment to October because he was reviewing her out-of-state history of “documented profound mental health issues.” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Natalie Stone said Linton should have been aware of her limitations and denied bail. Linton could face life in prison.

[[Read “Mercedes driver charged with murder in crash that killed 5 in Windsor Hills” in The Times.]]

And now, here’s what’s happening across California.

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L.A. stories

Anne Heche attends the 74th Directors Guild of America Awards at the Beverly Hilton on March 12.

(Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic)

Anne Heche in a coma: The actress’ medical condition took a turn for the worse Tuesday after her car crash Friday night. Los Angeles police are investigating Heche on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run after she crashed her car into a Mar Vista house, igniting a fire. Los Angeles Times

Politics and government

“I just want help,” said Tanesha Haynes, who joined advocates for homeless people in shutting down an L.A. City Council meeting.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

L.A. City Council meeting erupts in chaos: A speaker protesting the city’s crackdown on homeless encampments near schools jumped a bench and rushed toward council President Nury Martinez. Police tackled another homeless advocate on the council floor. One person was arrested. Los Angeles Times

Bonin is working to replace his liberal colleagues: “People who thought of themselves as liberal or thought of themselves as progressives in elective office don’t really understand what the hell’s going on,” said L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin, who is stepping down from his Westside seat. “There’s a number of members of the council, District 1 City Councilmember Gil Cedillo [who lost his bid for a third term in the June primary] and District 13 Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell [who came in second to challenger Hugo Soto Martinez] chief among them, who are openly hostile to young activists. They mock them. They disparage them. They’re angry at them. ... I’m going to do anything I can to elect these progressives and to help them have an effective transition and a good start.” Capital and Main

Crime and courts

California chief justice calls judges-for-hire scandal “shocking”: Responding to The Times’ investigation of the conduct of retired judges, including a former state Supreme Court justice, in the suspected swindling of clients’ money by lawyer Tom Girardi, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye called for new safeguards on the private judging industry.

As The Times detailed, Girardi paid well-regarded private judges as much as $1,500 an hour to help him administer mass tort cases involving thousands of clients. The Times described how Girardi traded on the names of these former jurists to deflect questions about missing money and, in some instances, to aid his misappropriation of client funds.

Cantil-Sakauye lamented the “multifaceted victimization of injured people” in the Girardi case. She did not offer a specific course of action to protect the public but suggested that lawmakers in Sacramento should take the initiative. Los Angeles Times

Amy LeClair is the latest of more than two dozen athletes to settle with San Jose State over sexual abuse claims.

(Stephen Bellingham)

Former San Jose State gymnastics coach called athletes “stupid,” “slut” and “whore”: Amy LeClair told of emotional abuse by former coach Wayne Wright after becoming the latest student-athlete to settle a sexual abuse claim against former university athletic trainer Scott Shaw. Mercury News, Los Angeles Times

Stolen catalytic converters: Fremont police say the converters that undercover detectives sold to Arrow Recovery Group, a precious metals recycling company, were etched “stolen” or had other suspicious insignias. San Francisco Chronicle

Burning body found hanging near Griffith Park merry-go-round: Authorities believed the victim found hanging from a tree died of self-immolation and said he was a local transient. The burns were too significant to identify race or gender. Los Angeles Times

Roosters euthanized after Riverside County cockfighting bust: Some of the 143 birds, found in cages, had been crushed in a stampede during the raid on the illegal cockfighting event in Jurupa Valley and were seriously injured, authorities said. Los Angeles Times

Vanessa Bryant lawsuit over crash photos starts today: After taking photos of the helicopter crash scene where Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed, one deputy said he lost his phone; another said he wiped the data. Others reported that their phones were replaced in routine upgrades. The failure to preserve the electronic evidence to ensure the photos didn’t spread beyond those employees will be a key component in Vanessa Bryant’s federal civil lawsuit against Los Angeles County. Los Angeles Times

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Mudslides strand more than 200 at Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: Visitors and hikers were stuck Monday evening at both the Valley Station and the Mountain Station at the top of Mt. San Jacinto after heavy mountain rains sent impassable mudflows across the exit road. The tram remained closed Tuesday for road inspections. Desert Sun

Oakland starts e-bike lending library: The city’s purchase of 500 e-bikes for a pilot rental program will target economically and environmentally impacted neighborhoods, including East Oakland, West Oakland, San Antonio, Chinatown and Fruitvale. Local bike shops including the Laurel Cyclery and Bikes 4 Life will handle the loaners. Oaklandside

California Culture

Serena Williams at Wimbledon in June 2021.

(Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)

Serena Williams says goodbye to tennis in sky-blue Balenciaga: In a farewell piece that she penned for Vogue, the Compton native and tennis GOAT said the U.S. Open would be her last tournament. She plans to expand her family and “evolve” her venture capital firm. “I have never liked the word retirement,” Williams writes in the piece, which is sprinkled with photos of her and her sister Venus in designer gowns and tennis gear. “It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me.” Vogue

Guitarist, 10, joins Green Day onstage: Billy Joe Armstrong pulled Montgomery on stage and threw a guitar around him. And the 10-year-old killed with his rendition of “Knowledge,” a cover from Operation Ivy, a Berkeley band that used to perform at the punk rock club 924 Gilman, where Green Day got its start. A woman behind SFGate writer Amy Graff sobbed and screamed at the same time. The Press Democrat

California Almanac

Los Angeles: sunny, 89. San Diego: mostly sunny, 84. San Francisco: sunny and breezy, 72. San Jose: becoming sunny, 80. Fresno: sunny, 94. Sacramento: sunny, 90.

And finally

Today’s California memory comes from Lance Barry:

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

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